Mitten's Problem
by Travis Waltz
Summary: When Bolt gets advice from Rhino he wants to know if he can help fix what is wrong with Mittens. But is it even possible for this little dog to save a friend from a traumatic past?
1. Rhino's Wisdom

Hello those who stumbled upon this story or are just loyal to me as an author! This is the second story of my rotation and again after next week we will be back to Danny and back to Fireheart. I have worked on Bolt before and here is a fun fact, Bolt was the first fanfiction based show I read about on this site!

It was dark and as it seemed quiet there was a little bit of sun light pouring in through the cracked window shades. Even though it had landed like this directly on his fur, so white that the light dispersed in all directions he wasn't awakened by that. It was because of the surge of energy he always felt when waking up on most mornings. Bolt slowly rose from his sleeping position and gave himself a quick shake, and yawned. He tried to quietly leave the room as Penny was still asleep. And to his surprise the cat, who was at once thought to be his enemy and now one of his best friends, was not on Penny's other side.

"Mittens… awake," he thought to himself and the idea was almost strange and humorous because that cat loved her sleep whether it is through the night or just a cat nap. The male dog with snow fur chuckled to himself at the thought of his witty kitty snoozing the day away and yet looking adorable at the same time. But this time around it would seem that she had beaten him to the punch… or rather waking up. He left Penny's room and looked around for his friend.

"Good morning Rhino," he said as he noticed the hamster ball reflecting the sun onto other surfaces on the couch. Though he received no answer for this greeting and he moved closer only to find that the hamster was up there but that more so he wasn't.

"He's asleep, he must have been up all night," he said to himself shaking his head but smiling as that was the rhino he had come to know and love. He then went to the kitchen to find his bowl completely full and Mitten's bowl (that was very close in proximity) was empty. Even though he wanted to keep looking for the feline friend of his he felt his stomach wake up and growl from hunger so he stopped his search to guzzle down every bit of the dry dog food. It didn't take him long to finish his breakfast and to follow it with none stop water lapping. When he was finally done and his stomach satisfied he continued looking for Mittens. He checked her litter box and she was nowhere near, she wasn't in any of her normal spots and even though that would include many locations it didn't take him long to notice she was not present in any of them.

"She's not in her bed, or in any of the window ceils… where could she be, the sun light would have been the best there and yet," he couldn't think of what to say or what to feel although he know he was feeling worried because he cared about her a lot. He whimpered as he felt lost and sat there for a moment.

"Hey Bolt what's the matter?" Rhino asked him in a sleepy tone which surprised Bolt though he had made enough noise to wake him up. He looked at the hamster in his ball and noticed his eyes were now glued to the "magic box" and not towards the dog he had just started conversation with.

"Hey Rhino, nothing's wrong, I just haven't seen Mittens this morning," he said and tried to hide the sadness that was in his voice though he didn't know why.

"She is probably sleeping in Penny's room or something like that," he said and still didn't change where his eye contact was. Bolt shook his head at what the rodent said.

"No I already checked when I woke up, she wasn't there and I have been looking around for here and she isn't in her normal places," he said and Rhino looked away from the screen with a grin on his face.

"You mean that cat woke up before you," he said in both humor and disbelief and it was this reaction that made Bolt laugh a little.

"Yeah she did, and I know she normally is cat napping or sleeping but this is why I was so surprised to see her awake but nowhere to be found," he said and tried to think of where she could be.

"So you have been looking all morning," Rhino said but a more of a guess.

"Well yes and no, I haven't been up very long but besides eating I have been looking for Mittens and still I have found not a single trace of her," he said and Rhino paused for a moment before speaking.

"Maybe she doesn't want to be found at the moment," he said and Bolt looked confused.

"Why would she want that?" He asked.

"Well everyone needs some time to themselves every once and awhile and some need it even more than that. Maybe Mittens needs time to think about something that has been on her mind and this is the opportunity to do so," Rhino said and Bolt couldn't help but note the hamster's wisdom.

"Where did that come from?" he asked.

"I've been watching a lot of psychic evaluations," he said and Bolt shrugged his shoulders, not having a clue on what those were or how Rhino would find them.

"Thanks for the advice Rhino," he said and Rhino smiled before zoning out into the "magic box" and Bolt walked towards the door which held his doggy door in place. 'If Rhino is right I wonder what Mittens had on her mind and if there was anything we could do or I could do to help her' he thought to himself for a moment before a scent hit his noise and he recognized it as the scent of the cat he had been looking for it was Mittens' scent and this made his tail wag.

"Why didn't I check out here earlier," he said to himself and followed the scent to the end of the porch where he saw his friend.

"Hey Mittens," he said happily but received no reply and when he got closer to her he realized with a shock, Mittens wasn't moving.

Well just thank you so so so very much for reading. I hope you enjoyed. I hope you enjoyed it enough to want to rea the next chapter coming next week and maybe miss it when I switch back? Anyways follow, favorite, and review (I reply to those in the following chapter or sometimes right away!) PM me if you have any questions. Thanks and as always keep on FIC'in. –Travis Waltz out!


	2. Closed eyes, Shallow breath

Hello readers, fans and everyone! I hope you are excited for this next chapter because I am now going to switch back and do my other two stories for two weeks. Here are the replies to reviews as always.

**BoltandMaybelle4ever: **I am glad you like it! I hope this chapter is of your liking. And I will continue… after the two weeks of my other two stories.

**starfiction123: **Hooked already? I must be doing my job well! I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!

Read on!

The morning had gone by so very strange. It was irregular, and even though other mornings hadn't followed the usual model this once stuck out. That being said time had slowed down around Bolt as he found his "frozen" kitty. He tried to run to her but he found that he couldn't move, couldn't breathe. His paws forced their way from the wooden floor but they moved slow, too slow for his worry to coupe. He fought on and started to move faster than he was before.

"Mittens," he called to her and noticed with pain that she didn't look back; she said nothing in the form of a reply. He jumped onto the railing of the porch that she was standing on, it wasn't easy but he clawed his way up and managed to get a grip.

"Mittens please answer me, say something," he begged as once again he was slowed down by some force the closer he got to her, the slower he felt. He was about to reach her, lick her, brush against her, annoy her, play with her, anything to snap her out of it. But it was upon him getting within an inch or two away from her that she gasped and then fell off of the rail onto her side.

Bolt had time to say nothing as he watched his friend hit the porch with a thud, he jumped after her and landed awkwardly, trying to get to his friend as fast as possible. She wasn't moving, her sides, or at least the one that wasn't against the porch was moving but oh so slightly. He didn't know what to do, how to react, he wanted to go get Penny or her mom to help or get help, but he didn't want to leave the feline's side. He heard a noise for a second and saw Rhino rolling by.

"Rhino," he called to him.

"Yes Bolt," he called back, making his way to the white dog.

"I need you to try and get Penny or her mother out her," he said and Rhino in a bolt of energy and excitement made his way back into the house. Seeing the little orange hamster's energy for such a strange and challenging mission made him smile but he then looked back at Mittens and his heart sank. He began to lick her furiously again and again and again. Her fur became matted and wet, it was a funny sight to behind but this didn't stop him. No matter how mad she would be, it would be worth it if and when she woke up.

After a while his tongue was getting tired, he felt like he had a fur ball in his throat, and Mittens… well she looked like she had been in a flood. He whimpered and begged the unconscious cat to wake up and nudged her with his noise. When he was about to give up her heard a faint cough and quickly began to lick her face again, her eyes blinked slowly and he began to lick quicker.

"B…bolt… what," she said slowly most likely wondering why he was licking her basically to death. His tail began to wag and he felt his heart beat faster; he licked faster and faster until she shook her head. This finally caused him to stop and he sat there panting.

"Mittens I was so worried… you weren't moving," he said and she blinked for a moment as if she couldn't believe what had happened… or she knew all too well that it had.

"I'm fine, you don't have to worry about this cat," she said and although normally that wouldn't had a single note of doubt in her voice and there would be that sly confidence that she had always shown him, he began to realize it wasn't there this time. He wanted to ignore this thought but he knew he couldn't; besides he had other questions for her.

"Why weren't you moving?" he asked Mittens who didn't answer.

"You were breathing at least, are you sick or something?" he asked and again she didn't answer.

"Did you not want to see me?" he asked her and she didn't answer but in her eyes he could see pain. She wanted to say something but she might not have been able too. He didn't care at that moment if anything she would have said would have hurt him, all he cared about was keeping his kitty friend safe and out of harm.

"It's happening again," was all that she said to him and this both peaked his interest and concerned him more so. He was prompted with more questions which were going to spill out no matter what.

"What's happening again?"

"How many times as it happened before?"

"Is it bad?"

"Can I help you in any way?"

"Did someone hurting you?"

"Is there anything you can tell me?"

The questions rattled out of him quickly as he almost begged for an answer. He felt a bit of a whimper so there was an actual amount of begging involved. And as he nudged his noise into her still wet side he felt her tense boy slowly trying to relax.

"I know something is bothering you Mittens. No matter what it is I am here for you and so is Rhino and Penny and her mom. You're not alone," he words seemed to echo in the air around him, and in his head and hers as well. There was nothing said for what felt like a long time. The sun was starting to rise and Mittens noticed that her fur wasn't as damp as before. They looked at each other and Bolt nodded.

"You don't have to tell me anything… just remember what I said," he said to her and it was this that prompted her to nod and open her mouth.

"Bolt, it's hard to explain and even harder to say out loud… but I just keep getting-," she began to say but stopped when the door opened harshly and Penny ran to the cat with worry in her eyes and tone.

Thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you will miss it because for the next two weeks I will be updating A Big Heart In A Small Package, and A Lost Mission. Give them a chance if you're bored and want to read something else by me. Review, favorite and follow if you haven't already and thank you so much for your support, you guys are so awesome! Thanks again and as always keep on FIC'in. –Travis Waltz out!


	3. Origin Of Pain

Hi guys! I am back with a new chapter! I hope y'all enjoy! Here are the responses to reviews as always. Skip them if you want to!

**BoltandMaybelle4ever: **Thank you kindly! I hope you enjoy this one as well!

Read on!

Bolt had thought that the morning had been one that didn't come around often. But he didn't expect it to turn into something of utter chaos. Even if he didn't know what was wrong with Mittens he still sat next to her, worried and wanting to protect her. The scenery sped by faster and faster as the car they were traveling in gained speed. Penny had been watching Bolt and Mittens from a window and noticed the cat didn't move for so long, and after she did she was so unresponsive she had to get her mom.

"Just hang in there Mittens, we will get you to the vet," Penny said looking at them in the back seat. Although she was worried, she couldn't help but find the site of the thin black cat and Bolt and his snow colored fur cuddled together very cute.

"Mittens, just listen to what Penny said. We will be there in no time. You're going to be okay," Bolt said with optimism in his voice. He wanted nothing more than her to be okay. The car ride wasn't as bad as many of them before had been. Even at the speed they were going the ground, though hard, didn't jostle them that much. Mittens still remained unmoved and Bolt let out a small whimper. Just then Rhino rolled into the floor board.

"Why am I here again?" He asked as his ball moved back and forth bouncing along. There was some annoyance in his voice, but from how the car was treating him, it wasn't hard to imagine why.

"You're here to give Mittens support just like all of us," Bolt said sternly, though rhino didn't seem to notice that in his voice, Rhino looked at the dog, or well as best as he could anyways with him constantly rolling and moving.

"Of course, of course… but why am I not seat belted in or something?" he said as once again he rolled back and forth.

"Because you're in that ball? I don't know," Bolt said and he was a bit aggravated but he also knew that Rhino meant no harm and he couldn't blame him for feeling a bit car sick.

"I think I'm going to be sick," he said and a bump sent him back onto the seat. Bolt barked and looked at Rhino. Penny looked back and saw the hamster rolling at the mercy of the car. She reached back and grabbed him and held both the Ball and Rhino in her arms.

"There satisfied?" Bolt asked Rhino who didn't say anything as if he was embarrassed to have to be held in place. Bolt turned his attention back to Mittens and licked the side of her face. It was kind of funny to see her fur react to this but she didn't do much in a form or any form of retaliation.

"Bolt," she whispered to him. And he pushed his body closer to hear her words.

"Yes Mittens what is it?" Bolt asked urgently and strained to hear all that he could.

"I'm having flash backs," she said and Bolts eyes widened. She didn't look at him; she just kept her eyes focused on the car seat. It was almost like Mittens was ashamed of whatever was bothering her. And at the same time Bolt couldn't understand why she would be ashamed and although he didn't even know what it was that was bothering her he still felt that she shouldn't be ashamed of that.

"What do you mean flash backs?" he asked her softly to help her not feel as bad as she had before. There was a moment of silence before she spoke up and Bolt listened intently.

"I have flash backs… of my old life. I remember things… things I had to do to survive and things done to me from others who did the same. I don't know why they are starting again but they are," she said to him and Bolt almost wanted to cry. He could hear the pain in her voice and feel it in her words.

"You said that they are happening again… so they have happened before?" He asked her but was more thinking than asking. Mittens slowly nodded before answering him.

"When I lived on the streets I would remember the first life I had, one with loving owners and a warm house to stay in. When they declawed me I didn't worry about it because I thought I wouldn't ever have to worry about things again because I had a home and I had a family," she said to him and Bolt nodded.

"But Mittens you have a family now and a home. Penny, her mom and even rhino love you. I love you. You are part of this family and this home no matter what," he said and the black and white cat looked. She smiled for a moment and then after that pushed her muzzle into his fur. Bolt didn't mind though as he wanted to comfort Mittens and if that is what it was going to take then so be it.

"Mittens I do have one question," he said and she looked at him, away from his fur.

"Y…yes Bolt?" she replied.

"Tell me… what was it that happened to you? What did the other cats or creatures do to you when you were trying to survive? He asked her. Mittens response was quiet and pained her as if with every word she was put into a new form of a great agony.

"I… I was used. I had to survive and I had debts… for food… a place to stay… and I was weak. The other cats were too strong, and I could do nothing to stop them from what they wanted. I was a toy and that was all," she said and Bolt looked at her in shock. Before he could say something in reply a pair of strong hands grabbed them both and he was with Mittens as she was rushed to the vet.

Thank you everyone for reading. I hope you enjoyed and if you did why don't you follow, favorite and or review. PM if you have any questions or you just want to talk to me! Also that poll on my profile will be ending next Friday and changing the one shot a week to a third story is in the lead. If it wins next Friday I will put up a new one that will give you the chance to pick what world it will take place in! Also that poll will go on much longer. Thank you for your time and as always keep on FIC'in!

-Travis Waltz out!


	4. The Problem

Hello everyone! I hope y'all are excited for this next chapter! It is sure to be a fun one! Here are the replies to reviews and there will be somewhat of an announcement at the bottom!

**BoltandMaybelle4ever: **Oh you think that is bad… just you wait. This cat is going to suffer… and I am glad you liked the chapter:D

**Grenout: **It is awesome that you liked it! And to be honest… you probably don't want to know… but you're going to find out anyways. And health is such a funny thing… the smallest thing can make things go wrong…

The clock was the only thing that made noise, a subtle tick that went on endlessly to a degree that would drive anyone to the brink of insanity if given the situation. There were flickers of light flickers of light coming from the TV screen that Rhino refused to take his eyes off of. There wasn't any sound, just captions that Bolt doubted the hamster could read… but then again there were flames and explosions so Rhino most likely wasn't looking for dialogue.

"It's been three hours," Bolt said out loud and dully as well. Rhino nodded though absent mindedly and his eyes blinked once. Penny and her mother looked over at him, although they couldn't possibly know what he had said they just noticed his bard and whimper and knew how he felt.

"She is going to be okay Bolt," Penny said to him soothingly and began to rub his back. The white dog had always loved getting petted but he was worried and this time they didn't do much to help him.

"I am here Mittens… I am right here," he said to himself though quietly as he didn't want to bring any more attention to himself. He wanted to be there for his friend and to help with his own worry all he could do was just make it feel like he was with Mittens.

Another hour went by and the vet came out to talk to the family about the current state of their beloved feline.

"Sorry about this taking so long… we have been trying to figure out what has been causing her problems. We aren't going to say anything until we get our results back from the CAT scan… no pun intended," the vet said and the two females just looked at him, the moment was just awkward.

"So you don't know anything?" Penny asked her voice was tight. The vet shook his head before replying.

"No we just don't have conclusive data on a form of internal damage. But could you tell me how you found Mittens?" He asked her and Penny sat for a moment.

"We never really found her… when Bolt went missing I just about lost myself and then he found me… saved my life too in a burning building. He brought Rhino and Mittens with him and they just became part of the family. The vet thought for a moment and then looked at Bolt wanting to try something.

"Bolt, hey boy… by any chance could you show us where you met Mittens?" He asked the dog knowing how silly he might have looked. Bolt was surprised that he even asked him. On a wall was the picture of a dirty ally and Bolt padded over to it jumping at it and barked once.

"I see, so Mitten's was an ally cat was she?"

"Yes yes she was," Bolt said in reply but all that came to the vet's ears were barks.

"How do you know he knew what you meant?" Penny's mom asked the man and he grinned.

"Dogs are smarter than you might think and his location didn't seem random, Mittens has scars on her body and matted fur in some places which could suggest the life of an ally cat.

"Well I guess that makes sense," the mother replied and then looked at Penny who was staring at Bolt. He was surprised to notice that as well and that made him curious.

"Bolt can understand us?" She said both surprised but at the same time the vet could tell she was connecting the dots.

"I'm right here you know," Bolt said though it only came as a bark to their ears.

"So what can you tell us about Mittens?" Penny asked and the vet paused for a moment.

"Your cat lived her life in an ally, where she would have had to fight for scraps or trash to survive on. It would have been a very difficult life for her to have had. And now taking into consideration her new home, new life, new family and the fact that you described her and freezing up like a statue I would have to say she might suffer from PTSD.

"What?!" Said Penny

"What?" Said her mother.

"What no no no," barked Bolt in dismay of this finding.

"What's with all the noise," Rhino said but when he looked away from the television and at Bolt and the others he shut his mouth and regretted letting his little comment slip from his little mouth.

"But I thought people that are in the military got that," Penny said still shocked and worried. The vet looked at her and understood her confusion.

"No even everyday ordinary people can suffer from it whether it is from a hard up bringing or abuse or some other disturbance that occurred when they were vulnerable. Now after taking that information into account animals can suffer from it as well. Remember your little kitty was an ally cat and would have suffered all kinds of abuses and because of this it makes perfect sense that Mittens could suffer from that," he said and Bolt's mind was spinning as was Penny's.

"That makes sense after she told me she was used… that she had to survive and those debts she had and the food a shelter to stay in… It all matches up," Bolt said to Rhino and anyone else who could hear him.

"But she has a better life with us. We care about her, we love her," Penny said to him and a tear ran down her cheek.

"Even so she might have "flash backs" if you will about her old life and maybe if you stretch your imagination a bit it is possible she had a family before and that could be clashing with how she feels now," he said and Bolt knew the man was right.

"Everything she said… he is right I have to see her," Bolt said to Rhino and ran past the vet and through the open door, he was going to see his friend no matter what.

Read on!

Thank you so much guys for reading. The support is just a wonderful thing thank you! If you want to favorite, follow and review! If you have any questions feel free to PM me! Also the poll closed and I have put up a new one to help decide what the new stories are going to be about, so please head over to my profile page and vote! That is all for now, thanks for reading and as always keep on FIC'in! –Travis Waltz out!


	5. A Talk

Hey guys! I wanted to apologize for this super late update. I mean it is here at least don't get me wrong but it is way late. I have family over and it has made it hard to update. Hopefully by next week (when they leave) things will be back to schedule.

**BoltandMaybelle4ever: **That is a rather smart thing to say and stupid of me not to include. I am super happy to hear that you liked it and I hope you like this one.

Read On!

Bolt could feel his heart pounding. He raced past the vet and into a room that he had never once seen in his life… not that he hadn't ever gone to the vet or more specifically this vet before because he had it was a room in this building that he hadn't ever seen. It was a room that he could feel… one that had pain and sadness and an over whelming sent of fear forced and stained onto the walls that made up the room. It wasn't a small one and on the sides were rows and rows of cages.

"Mittens where are you?" He called out to his friend to find no luck as she didn't try or at least from his ears and perspective she wasn't trying to call back to him because he couldn't hear her even in the slightest and this made him even more worried than he was before if that could be believed.

"Bolt?" He heard a voice call out to him but his heart sank when he found that it wasn't the voice of Mittens but instead it was Rhino who had called out to him.

"Rhino… I thought you were Mittens," he said and did his best to hide the disappointment in his voice. He didn't want to hurt Rhino in anyway just because he was worried about another one of his friends.

"You thought I was a cat? You thought I was a girl?" He asked Bolt both of these questions and it was true hearing him say that did make him feel a bit silly after all Rhino was a hamster and a male one at that why would he in any way shape or form sound like Mittens? Then again was that how far gone Bolt was in his worry for his other friend that he began confusing reality to the point of confusing genders.

"No… No it isn't that I guess I am just," he began to say but stopped himself without knowing as he felt that with every breath of air he took he was wasting it by not looking for Mittens.

"You are just worried about Mittens," Rhino finished his sentence for him and the white dog just nodded at him with his head down. And when he heard a small laugh coming from the hamsters mouth that is when he looked up confused and at this point partially hurt.

"Whats so funny Rhino? This is serious and laughing at me isn't making me feel any better than I was feeling before," the white dog aid to his number one fan who for once didn't look scared of making Bolt mad by his actions.

"Bolt I am not laughing at you. Not in the slightest. It's just that," Rhino began before Bolt cut him off.

"It's just what Rhino? It's just what?" He asked and it was at this point Rhino knew he had to end this conversation before it took some turn for the worst or even more so that it already had and the little hamster took in a deep breath to help collect his thoughts before continuing and then told his friend what he had meant to say all along.

"Bolt, we are all worried about Mittens. Me, Penny, her mom, all of us are worried not just you. We are all a family and we love each other and you love Mittens a lot and I get that but we are all here for each other so I am going to ask you to calm down a little bit because I am just trying to be there for my hero… and Mittens as well," Rhino finished his little speech and waited for Bolts reaction and it was much more calm than he had first expected.

"You're right Rhino. I am sorry for snapping like I did and you are right about me worrying. I have been worrying since this morning when I found Mittens on the porch frozen like a statue. It's just that was a deep and painful blow to take in. Hearing that she had something that so awfully plagued humans and could affect her. I broke down inside Rhino," Bolt was confiding in his friend and he had no regret of doing so as he trusted Rhino and he knew that he could always trust Rhino.

The sounds of footsteps could be heard and the two animals turned to see that Penny and her Mom where walking towards them along with the vet.

"There you guys are," said Penny who picked both of them up lovingly. "Don't you ever go running off like that again Bolt we were all very worried about you and I suppose Rhino was very worried because it seemed like he went and chased after you," she said jokingly and was completely unaware of how truthful her statement was.

"See I told you all of us are worried and not just about Mittens but about you too Mr. Worry-paws," Rhino said now with a joking tone just to have fun with his hero. Bolt looked at him but just let out a sigh. He had taken in a lot of information and between Rhino's speech and Penny's loving embrace he could feel himself slowly getting better and he was more than a little thankful for that and it was at this point that Penny started to walk with them in her arms.

"Where is she taking us?" Bolt asked Rhino who didn't know and felt as if his wisdom was fading.

"I am not sure… maybe we are going back to the car," Rhino said and he felt half of his worried thoughts change to thoughts about the magic box and all of the old Bolt reruns that would be on in thirty minutes.

"No because Mittens is still here," he said and Rhino knew that the dog had a point but moments later they entered a room where they had full view of Mittens in some kind of a machine that had wires and tubes attached to her.

Thank you so much for reading. I am sorry once again for the late update. Anyways if you liked it then please review, follow and favorite and if you have a question PM me. Once again I am sorry for the late update and I want to thank you for reading and for your patients. You guys rock and as always keep on FIC'in. –Travis Waltz out! 


	6. The Box

Hi everyone! I hope you are ready for another portion of Bolt because it is coming right at you right now so read on!

**BoltandMaybelle4ever: **I hope this one is even sweeter!

There comes a time in one's life when they realize they have ups and downs and it is at that point that they need to decide if the ups outweigh the downs. For Bolt his life had both ups and downs and when he was still living in a fantasy world that was fabricated for television those downs were an extreme amount of stress because it usually involved saving Penny or all of mankind. Then again when it came to him having to come back, after being lost and coming back to what he thought was Penny replacing him and to him not caring well the stress was unimaginable. But that was then and this is now. He lives a care free life as a dog with his friends, his friends who are just as much a part of his family as Penny or her mom so in the end he was living his life with his family and without a doubt he wouldn't of had it any other way and yet this was a time when that stress was going to come back and well haunt him because of Mittens.

Mittens the cat who had saved him, the cat who had changed his life and showed him what it truly meant to be a dog and taught him how to act like a proper pet. She was his friend, one of his best friends and she was his family and right now, in that moment she was hanging on to life as it seemed from Bolts view in the strange box she was in that Rhino may or may not of called a magic box but not in the same way he would have been talking about the Television because this one was not one that brought joy and entertainment and the occasional scary movie but instead it was one of utter complete horrors.

Horrors that the poor dog knew would never leave his mind as he had to sit and watch as Mittens was somehow sleeping and tubes and wires monitors and caused a beeping, a beeping that would not stop for whatever reason. It was almost to the point of being maddening because of its rhythm and if there was any change somehow Bolt knew that it involved her. It was almost too much for the white dog to bear and it was killing him.

"Mittens, oh my god what are they doing to you?" He asked out loud even though he knew no one but Rhino could understand him. And seeing's that it was Rhino that could understand him and no one else he also knew that he wasn't going to get a straight answer, much less a scientifically correct on. Not trying to say anything bad about the little hamster because recently he had proved to Bolt that at times he could be very wise but it was much more so that he couldn't of had a clear idea of what this hell box was or what it was for. The vet looked at him and bent over to pet him on the head for a few moments. Bolt, who was too shocked to do anything let him do so.

"It's okay little guy, we are just monitoring Mittens to see if there has been any physical marks, damage or side effects from the stress that would of cause her PTSD. Bolt was surprised on how the vet had guessed what he was looking for in the terms of answers and information and apparently he wasn't the only one.

"How did you know he wanted to know that?" Penny asked him and the vet looked at her with a smile.

"You could say I am a bit of a dog whisperer but in truth it was more because the information was mostly for you in your mother," he said and Bolt understood.

"So why would you address our dog?" Penny's Mom asked the vet who looked at her and tried to fight back a shrug and remain professional but friendly at the same time and in some fields of work it wasn't easy, including his.

"You don't have to be a dog whisperer of any kind to hear a dog whimpering. When any animal or person whimpers that usually is associated with something being wrong or a sadness and he didn't whimper until we got in here and unless he just has to use the bathroom or is hungry I am willing to bet that is why he did," the vet finished his little speech and the two women looked at him in surprise.

"Wow you are so smart," Penny's Mom said and her voice sounded as if she had a bit of a flirt in it. Penny just rolled and picked up Bolt.

"When do you think the tests will be completed?" Penny asked and the vet fixed his glasses.

"We have estimated that you will be able to pick Mittens up in the morning," he said.

"In the morning?!" Penny and Bolt said at the same time in shock, though Bolt barked and Penny spoke it was still in unison to a degree that girl and dog looked at each other for a moment and then back to the man who was saving their friend.

"We want to make sure that the stress depletes in her sleep. If it doesn't that could mean she suffers from nightmares and from there it would only get worse," he said and after about an hour the rest of the of the family namely Penny's mom and Rhino decided it was best to go home and eventually Penny and Bolt found themselves able to leave their friend in the box of horrors after all it was only for the night.

"Goodnight Mittens, I will see you in the morning I promise," Bolt said and with both paws on the edge licked his friend a goodbye. It was going to be a hard night but for her sake he would sleep so he would be ready and awake to talk with his friend.

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this Bolt filled update! If you liked it then please be as so kind to review, favorite or follow! And if you have any questions feel free to PM me! Thanks again for reading and as always keep on FIC'in! –Travis Waltz out!


	7. A Long Night

I was depressed after the passing of a close friend and relative… I didn't do anything, couldn't do anything. I didn't eat or sleep. It also took time because I had my Danny and Warrior updates for the past two weeks. I just wanted to say I am sorry. Here is the next Bolt update and some review as well. Here are the reviews from fans.

**sakiko of soleana: **It really was an awwh chapter wasn't it?

**BoltandMaybelle4ever: **Funny you should say that… like asking someone to let someone go when they are actually holding them off of a building. The word end could mean so many things.

**starfiction123: **I am so glad you like it! I try to make it as detailed and true as possible!

**No one you know: **Thank you for such a good rating and yes my writing does tend to take a dark turn.

**Ramonator99: **It is awesome talking to you and having you as a friend. As well I am very glad you liked the chapter.

Read on…

The car ride had been a sad one back. Bolt who normally happy at with his two best friends or in the lap of Penny who loved him very very much just sat in the very back of the vehicle. He made no noise what so ever he just watched the road as it slowly passed his field of vision and it was indeed a more old and worn down road and because of this they were bound to hit bumps every now and then and with every bump Bolt could feel his heart beat stop for that moment and it made him want to cry out in pain.

Rhino looked back at him every now and then to check on him and make sure he was still there and not necessarily physically but mentally because the hamster was rather worried about the white dog, the one who had been his hero for years and still was and it was him who he thought to be invincible and it was in this moment and the times before where Bolt had to rely on Rhino that Rhino seemed to question how invincible Bolt was but he knew in his heart that Bolt was still his hero and the brave dog he always had been it was more so just some bumps that Bolt had been hitting.

"Hey Bolt are you still alive back there buddy?" Rhino asked him and Bolt made no effort what so ever to contact him back with any sign whether it be movement or just well by making some sound. The dog just continued to look out the window and in his mind there seemed to be this freeze as there weren't any thoughts making their way through. This problem that Mittens had had been affecting everyone to the point that it was not just her issue it was the issue of her friends and the issue of her family.

Bolt cared about Mittens and he didn't care what the reason was and the interesting thing was he wasn't searching his mind for a reason any more or come to think of it if he ever had been he just stopped it didn't matter what the reason was if somehow in his heart he had these secret feelings for the cat and in his head he would have had some war about how it would have been wrong for them to be together because he was a dog and she was a cat and mortal enemies or just that they didn't go together and he just didn't care. The only thoughts in his mind were of Mittens and what would happen if he lost her.

"Bolt look I know you are worried and if at any time my words have helped you then maybe this time they will again. The fact is we all worry about Mittens and if something were to go wrong and she were to… I don't want to say… we would all be sad not just you but you have to pull it together a little better for her sake because that is what she would have wanted for you to keep on fighting. Could you imagine how she would of reacted if she found out you completely shut down or let yourself go because of her?" Rhino finished his speech with a question and for the first time since they had started driving Bolt looked at him and replied which actually took Rhino by surprise.

"What Rhino what is it that she would of done?" He asked him in a sad tone.

"Whoa so you are still alive," Rhino said in a joking manor before continuing what it was he was going to say. "She would have been flattered I am sure being a cat and all but at the same time I have a feeling she would have had some sarcastic remark towards how you are acting about you being all bet up over nothing after all she is one tough cat. I could imagine reacting and saying something along the lines of 'jeez wags you don't have to be such a drama queen on my account' couldn't you see her doing that?" Rhino asked and Bolt slowly nodded at him for a moment and then looked back at the road.

"Rhino I just don't know what to do any more and no matter what you say even if I feel a little better I always feel bad in the end. I don't like this Rhino I don't and something tells me what will end up making me feel better is having Mittens back and that might be tomorrow and if that is the case then I guess this won't be so bad but in the back of my mind I worry what if it will be longer than just tonight or the day and night after that I just don't know what I am going to do," he said and he felt shaky and breathless as he tried to continue to talk to Rhino but he found it more and more painful to continue.

Rhino sat quietly for a while and the drive continued in silence and even Penny and her mother wasn't really making any back ground noise with their own voices and when the time finally struck that they had made their way to their home and were off to their own beds Rhino found himself net to Bolt before it was complete lights out and sleep time.

"You really love her don't you," Rhino said quietly and Bolt quietly pondered this but just as fast he looked at the small hamster who he called best friend just as much a he called Mittens the same and spoke.

"I love each and every one of you. I love Penny and her mother and Mittens and you and if it was any of you besides Mittens I would feel just as bad," he said and Rhino went back to his cage quietly and went to sleep. They both pondered each other's words and fell asleep to with the thought still needing to be spoken.

Thank you for supporting me by reading what I write. You guys truly are the best fans anyone on this site could ask for. I am so lucky and blessed to have at least one person read my work… but to have hundreds I truly am honored. Thanks you and as always keep on FIC'in. –Travis Waltz out!


	8. Tears

Hey guys! I hope you are ready for some more Bolt goodness! Here is the next chapter and I hope you enjoy it! Just two responses to two reviews and then the chapter.

**starfiction123: **Thank you my friend for such complements on the story and your kind words as well. Things have gotten better at least and that is a good thing. And it is my pleasure to write this story!

**MotherTrucker4x4: **I will try my best to keep on truckin and as well thank you for complementing this chapter. And your icon is still the same but thank you for telling me the change.

**I just wanted to thank you two for being there from the beginning. Y'all are awesome!**

Read On!

Life… life had always been something of a mystery to Bolt. It was confusing and ever changing and for him, his life, his world, had been for the longest time fabricated and false. But after life had thrown its curve ball at him and he was able to bounce back things were good. Still a bit of a mystery as he still had thoughts that pertained to his old life that would resurface every now and then but they didn't matter to him all that much anymore as he just let his thought go quiet or more realistically and often he just simply distracted himself with his family or hi tail.

"It will be okay Bolt," Rhino had said to him for the hundredth time but maybe it was just not working anymore because there once was a time when Bolt could of believed his sometimes rarely wise hamster friend but no longer could he see his words as true.

"It won't ever be okay Rhino and you know that just like I do," Bolt told him with a heavy heart and sadly this is how many of their conversations would go along. Days passed in and out as if they were nothing and there seemed to be some kind of dark cloud looming over Bolt and perhaps the rest of the family in some way or another but that wasn't the way it should have been.

Mittens was supposed to of come with them the next day and be okay. But when they had gone back to the vet he had said that she should remain there for a little longer.

"Bolt calm down," Rhino had said as he heard the little dog growling upon hearing this news. Penny and her mom didn't even do anything to stop him and the vet just looked at him with a sad face and nodded. Feelings were mutual and at that time that had to just deal with them. Then time moved on. Every day seemed to go after the next and Mittens reminded in the containment she was in.

"We should be with her right now, she shouldn't be alone without us this just isn't fair," Bolt had said for the longest time but now it seemed just a complete waste of breath and had become a cold bitter pain in his heart that he just didn't want to have to deal with any more but he had no choice but to deal with it. The family wasn't able to go see Mittens every day like they once were and at first this caused panic in our hero but now it was just something that added to the pain inside of him and his little heart. Every time they went to the vet Bolt and Rhino were put in another room and it was to his knowledge that it was to somehow protect him.

There was no need for protection as it was Mittens who needed it and not he but it wasn't his choice anymore because he couldn't open doors or talk or anything that would have helped him to be any closer to her. Penny would always be sad and sometimes she would cry after coming out of the room. Some days had ended up being worse than others and others had ended up being just bland out of the ordinary. Little was said about Mittens between the humans that Bolt had noticed but it wasn't like she was gone. Bolt would listen to their conversations ever now and then and he had the most interest when they were on the phone with the vet and he was able to get some information on Mittens based on the words they said and the emotions he was able to pick up on.

"That's great," he had heard Penny say at one time and it was hearing this from her that brought him some small hope about his friend and it had been a long while but there was a wag I his tail because of that. The days kept passing by with little to no words said by him or to him. He had just kept himself hidden and didn't feel the need or want to do really anything.

It was on a Monday when Penny had gone to school and Rhino was watching TV. He was spending a lot of his time just channel surfing and every now and then he would find something to latch onto. Something he found extremely stupid but oddly enough very entertaining was a show that featured grown men hurting themselves doing all types of stunts and what not.

"Rhino what are you watching?" Penny's mom had asked him jokingly as she thought he didn't understand and the hamster looked at her and just shrugged and in doing so got a strange look from the mother who just decided to walk away for the time being. It had been a normal morning no matter how depressing it seemed and Bolt had left his bed and was slowly making his way over to his water dish when Penny's mother nearly stepped on him.

"Oh sorry Bolt," she said after he let out a small whimper but in the end he didn't really care all that much he just made his way to his bowl and began to slowly lap from it tasting the metallic water that was still refreshing. The phone began to ring right then but he didn't look from his bowl.

"That is making a lot of noise," Rhino commented but didn't look away from the screen as he saw a bunch of guys run through a corridor of Tasers and cattle prods wearing prison stripes.

"I wonder who that could be," Penny's mother said and made her way over to the phone and promptly answered it. Bolt didn't really listen until he noticed the tears starting to fall from the woman eyes and when he looked up the two words that hit his ears the hardest were seizure and epileptic.

Thank you so much guys and gals for reading! You truly are the best and I am so grateful to have fans such as yourself! If you want to favorite or follow if you haven't already and PM if you have questions or want to talk. Thanks and as always keep on FIC'in! –Travis Waltz out!

*I want to apologize for the delay I have been having an upload issue so this will come out whenever it will actually upload.


	9. So Real These Voices

Hello readers! I hope you are ready for some more pain and suffering but from beloved characters… who are animals… well here we go!

Words hurt more than anything ever had before. And in many cases this is true for anyone. But for the little white dog, with an even bigger heart the pain was unbearable. Bolt didn't see and couldn't see this treatment as fair. Life had never truly been fair but this was a bomb shell.

"Are you f-" his bark came out as shrill and hurt as he ran towards Penny's mother. She noticed his anger and looked with a sad face.

"Bolt I know your angry but watch your mouth," she said and though this came out as extremely strange for her or really any human to say Bolt didn't care. He tried to say something, bark something, make a noise but his throat was tight and there was no such luck. Instead he chose to flee. His eyes blinded with tears and rage the little dog ran, ran far, ran fast out through the dark house, out of the doggy door and into the open where he didn't stop for a second.

"Bolt you need to stop," he heard a familiar voice say but he was to gone to listen to it. Instead he chose to run down a hill where in a flash he found a searing pain in his side and colors spinning and air touching his paws. When he finally stopped rolling for a moment he whimpered at the pain he was in and crawled to the water's edge where he weakly lapped from the cool liquid.

"Mittens," was all he said as tears ran down his furry face and hit the water's edge. In the rippling reflection of water he saw only himself and then the color white and then the color black. There was also a familiar scent that followed the colors that were now becoming shapes.

"Wags what are you doing out here?" The voice asked him and Bolt knew who it belonged to but at the same time had no intention of turning to it. There was so much pain in his heart and well body that he couldn't move. All he did was put his head down and close his eyes tightly.

"Mittens… it isn't you… I know it isn't you," he said to the voice that sounded so near to him.

"It isn't me? Are you sure? I'm not dead or anything," she said to him and he began to shake at how "she" was reacting.

"You're at the vet's and in some kind of weird machine that is helping you stay alive. You're not really here," he said and there was a good amount of silence and before he did anything the voice spoke again.

"Fine… say I'm not really here Bolt… say I am just… just some figment of your imagination; ask yourself this. Do you really want me to go away? Because if you do I will go away and I won't fight that," she said to him and he felt warmth against his shoulder as if there was a paw being placed there.

"I just want to know why this is happening to us, why is this happening to are family, to you. How is this fair in anyway Mitten's answer that question and I will answer yours," he said and he felt heavy in his heart and a pit in his stomach. There was again a silence and pause and this time Bolt was sure what ever was in his mind that was pretending to be his dear friend had vanished or left his thoughts.

"You're the one with the answer to that one wags. You have said it before and so has Rhino," she said to him and he stiffened for a moment at a sharp pain that went into his lungs as if he was having troubles breathing.

"The answer is life is not fair," Bolt said in short breaths and he could feel the being that was taking place of his friend agree with him.

"Now then, it is time for you to answer my question," she said to him and Bolt just shook his head. He didn't have an answer ready or have an answer he wanted to give to the other voice.

"I don't know Mittens… I miss you so much and all I want is to be able to hear your voice once again," he said.

"Well your hearing it right now," she said.

"But it isn't really you. I miss you Mittens I really do," he said and he still felt a cold stabbing pain within himself as the silence began to drag on.

"I will tell you one thing Bolt. I am going to miss you and Rhino and Penny and her mom," the voice of Mittens said and upon hearing this Bolt felt his eyes almost rip open and although he couldn't move he felt his heart quicken as well. He looked around but even as he did this he felt fear that the voice would stop talking to him if he tried to look.

"Mittens what do you mean by that? Please answer me! You're not going to die, you're going to be okay," he said and his voice was in a panic and he knew he was losing his mind at that very moment. The voice didn't reply to this but he heard other voices that were loud and in shouts.

"Bolt," they called out and he at one time could have known who was calling for him. Maybe it was Penny, maybe it was her mother or maybe even Rhino but at this point the voices began to fade into the back ground and become white noise.

"Mittens please don't go," he said again and again in a voice filled with pain and the voices that were white noise began to fade as things went black.

Thank you so much guys for reading! I hope you enjoyed this darker chapter and if you did why not favorite, follow or review! Lineup changes are near! Thanks and as always keep on FIC'in. –Travis Waltz out!


	10. Make Them Stop

Hello everyone I wanted to explain in short why I didn't upload. I have seen using a laptop and recently my documents folder stopped working. As well I just couldn't connect to the internet. I have had these troubles before. Now I managed to get internet back to my computer but I am being forced to use word on an old laptop… so hopefully this doesn't cause too much trouble… then again it already has.

**starfiction123: **If you thought that was sad just wait.

**Ramonator99: **Thank you for always being awesome bro!

Was it the thought of losing his friend that hurt Bolt the most? Or was it more so just the fact that he couldn't do anything to help her. There was a pain pulling at his heart and as he found himself in the arms of Penny all he could do was have a blank face and barely breath. He was being carried, yes that he knew… back to… back to a place where he would be missing a friend; to a place that was empty even though he wasn't alone. To the little white dog he was alone and he was very much empty.

Not long after his little walk, mental break down and then walk back that was more so him being moved and or forced back. With no sound but the slow rhythmic beating of his heart he lay there with nothing to do but wallow. Time and time again Penny and Rhino came into the tomb to try and talk to him, try and cheer him up. Though it wasn't long till they realized that there was very little they could do to cheer him up so instead it became the task to comfort him and even in doing that there was no ease.

"Bolt please talk to us," Rhino had said before Penny most likely based on the fact that he could understand the white dog. Bolt didn't look at him. He just closed his eyes tighter than they were and shook his head. Penny was watching from the door way. Any other day she would have seen this as cute but she knew of the sadness in the poor puppy. Rhino rolled out of the room slowly with his head down. Penny then walked into the room and sat next to him.

"Bolt I know you aren't happy but I have something for you," she said and produced an item from behind her back. Bolt had no intention or want to look and kept it that way with closed eyes. The object in her hand squeezed and when the sound hit his ears he flinched. Vivid images of orange and green flooded into his mind. A favored toy of his and Penny's that they had always loved to play with together. He knew exactly what was in her hand.

"Mr. Carrot," he said to himself quietly and to Penny it was barely a whimper. She squeaked it many times to see if the reluctant dog would look at her but it was no use. Eventually she sat down the toy and rubbed his back. Penny placed a kiss on his head and went to go get something to drink. If he would have looked up with open eyes he might have realized that Penny's Mom had been watching his through the door way. She felt sad for the little dog that was part of the family and she knew that well. She had watched the others fail and then just looked at him. There was nothing she could do, except bring him a bowl of food and water.

"You might not want to go anywhere but in case you get hungry I brought you some food and water as well," she told him as she put both down on the floor. The older woman put a hand on his head and petted him. And then like the others he was gone.

Hours past and the others decided to give it a rest. Bolt didn't move. He didn't touch his food and he didn't take in any water. If his stomach was empty then he didn't notice it and if his throat was burning it wasn't as bad as the pain he felt in his heart.

"Goodnight Bolt," he heard Penny say to him and that was followed by the sound of the light switch going off and the sound of her going under the covers. The fan was gently blowing in the room and that is what made the white noise the most. Bolt had not fallen asleep or even dozed off when he decided to open his eyes that burned because they had been shut so long and because of tears he had choked back. The digital clock on the nightstand seemed to blur as he looked at it but there wasn't much time between him looking with blurred vison and the focusing of his eyes. The clock he was looking at read 3 am and for whatever reason Bolt moved his weight and slowly began to stand up. He should have felt sore in some way but instead all that he felt was numb. He walked slow and uneven. He was shaky but as he began to walk further he was able to adjust himself.

He was able to reach the doggy door quickly and quietly made his way outside. He began to pad over to where he was before when Mittens had talked to him. The night air was cool and the moon was high in the sky shining in full strength. He was just standing there when a loud noise startled him, the flash and sound of a car hand quickly come and gone. The road next to him as it appeared wasn't completely empty as he once thought in his subconscious mind.

"Mittens I… I am so scared… it hurts so much. I can't lose you," he said into the night air and all that came was a puff of white from his mouth. It was colder than anyone could have expected but he didn't care.

"Wags," he heard a feline voice say and he began to tear up.

"Mittens please… I… I need it to stop," he said as tears wet his fur. There wasn't a reply and Bolt shook his head heard. He could feel that she was there or that something was there.

"Bolt I will always be with you," he heard and he shook his head. He didn't know what to do and he also heard the hum of a car.

"I can't Mittens… not without you… but if you're here for me," he said and darted at the road, eyes closed, as the car was getting closer it sounded like a roar. "But I will be with you soon," he whispered as the sounds of tires screeched, a horn blared and a hard thud rang out.

-Travis Waltz


	11. Wake Up

The car, the flash, the roar and the end, that was it, that was game over. Adventure after adventure whether or not it had been true or false, on camera or off camera it was done. Just as he had lost Mittens, Bolt had lost himself in an action that might have aired on the side of selfishness or over reaction. But he didn't care, and well after all there was no need to care anymore was there. Just like Mittens he would most likely end up in a mass animal grave, or cremated. Not a bad way for a "super dog" to go out except for the fact he met a stereo type with getting run over and what not.

As he began to drift away into other parts of his mind Bolt began to think about how long it would take for everything to finish. Then again was he in his body right now and thinking or was he long gone at this point and somehow in some sort of mind.

There was some sort of sound that pierced through the desolation he was floating in.

"That was a very stupid thing to do wags and you know it," the voice said to him and Bolt right then recognized it as the cat he knew and loved.

"I promised you I would be with you soon Mittens," he said back to the voice he thought he had heard. He wanted to look around and find her but he couldn't move and he couldn't see. Come to think of it he could hear anything either.

"Well you're not dead so how exactly are you with me? And how is killing yourself going to keep you with me when you are talking to me right now?" the questions struck him as confusing as they seemed to contradict one another.

"Mittens I can't see and everything is dark, I can't feel, or smell or hear, I must be dead," he said though the almost sounded inane at what he was stating because the way he stated what he was saying came out as absolute fact.

"Well that doesn't mean you are dead. How do you know you aren't dreaming or something like that or maybe you are just hurt really bad or something like that?" she said to him and Bolt wanted to say something as a reply but before he could words came out.

"I am not dreaming, you are here with me and that is how I know I am not dreaming," he said and the voice of the cat he knew waited for a moment as it seemed to take her awhile to make up her mind or she was just calming her thoughts, his thoughts, their thoughts.

"How do you know I am really here? How do you know if you are really here if you don't even really know where you are or if you are awake or not? And come to think of it how do you know if I am alive or dead? I mean I know what I said before and I realize that might seem confusing but at the same time you don't know this to be true," she said and Bolt felt sick at what he guessed was his stomach as what he thought was his reality was torn apart. He didn't know anything that was true or wasn't true anymore or at least at this moment and it made him hurt and cry. The voice he had heard before was so calm and painfully soothing but this one was still Mittens, but it was much more questioning and rational.

"I don't know anything Mittens but it is like you changed or something because just before you were talking about how you would miss me and I knew you weren't really there. You made me feel so sad and happy at the same time. I was so happy to be able to hear your voice but the words you said hurt me and now the words you are saying are hurting me again and I don't know what to think. I just don't know anything anymore and I want it to stop. In the field you came to me, your voice talked and I knew you weren't there, I know you weren't when I ran into that car," he said as he felt pain and sadness coming to a boiling point and waited.

There was nothing. There was no warmth or cold feeling just pain as he waited for the voice to prove he was just as right or wrong and crazy as he thought he had been.

"So am I here with you now Bolt? Am I here with you now, talking to you or am I still in your head?" the voice asked and he wanted to howl out at it as a response.

"I don't know what is true or real Mittens I don't know if you are really here… no you aren't here with me I am alone or at least for now I am alone without you and it is hurting me so much I can hardly stand it," he said and then he wanted to continue but at the same time something stopped him and he just stopped altogether he stopped talking and crying and he felt something against him perhaps leaving him or just moving him but he just stopped.

"Do you want to do something for me wags?" she asked him and at first he didn't want to answer, he didn't want to do anything except lay there and wait for an end of some kind to take him away as it had to mittens but the more he waited the less and less he felt it come and when he had waited to the pint where he had thought he should have just burst he finally answered the question she had posed.

"Yes anything Mittens," he said.

"Anything?" she asked back.

"Anything.. I… I love you," he said.

"Wake up," she said to him.

-Travis Waltz


	12. Pounding on the Door (of the mind)

"W…what? What was that you asked me to do?" He asked in a state of confusion. There wasn't exactly a reply all that fast to what he had asked but he was patient albeit going dully nuts.

"I am sorry if I wasn't clear enough for you wags but what I asked you was if you would wake up, you know open your eyes, rise and shine, get off your lazy dog butt," the voice he heard really sounded like Mittens and Bolt actually felt happy from the ridicule he was getting from her because at least he knew that with Mittens she would have called him those things and told him that.

"Maybe I really was dreaming," he said out load with surprise and doubt as well as a little disbelief.

"What do you mean?" he heard the questions asked and this time it was a different voice that he heard and he recognized it very clearly.

"Rhino? He believed it a bit more but found it strange that the little hamster would have been watching him sleep (if that really was what he was doing and this wasn't some kind of strange dream that would just end up causing him more grief in the long run) as opposed to watching the magic box as he loved to call it.

"Well of course it is me, who else do you think it would be? Some other hamster who is without a doubt your biggest fan and the only person… animal… life form in this world to truly know how awesome and amazing you are without any doubt or need to know otherwise in my mind," it was a funny sounding little speech that he heard but it was definitely Rhino and he had no doubts in his own mind about that.

"I am so glad to hear it is you," Bolt said and paused for a moment to let a thought enter his mind before continuing.

"I really went off the deep in didn't I," he said before shivering and waited for a reply.

"What are you talking about Bolt?" he heard his friend ask him and he didn't say anything for a moment but instead just let Rhino's voice sink in for a second, after all the very hamster had given him very good advice in the past and though h may not look like it or come across as I he was wiser than anyone else he knew, well maybe not Mittens but after all who could be more street smart then that cat.

"The crazy levels I went to, hearing voices in my head, throwing myself into a moving car and basically losing my mind in every definition of the word," he said and he almost felt as if he were joking as he could feel a humorous tone coming from his mouth and a bit of a laugh in his mind as he said he had basically gone nuts and again he waited and this waiting made the conversation feel very one sided but at the same time he didn't care. It was something wonderful to hear the voices of the ones you loved and cared about who also happened to love and care about you and of course the biggest part almost being completely gone from your life though it would have been more Mittens gone from his life and then Bolt himself gone from Rhino's life as well as Penny's and her mom's.

"It's okay Bolt, really it is I promise. When you are losing someone you care about and someone you hold very near and dear to your heart it isn't out of the ordinary that your suffer grief and people just have to go through grief in their own way, animals like us do as well," Rhino said and Bolt agreed though didn't say anything.

"When I lost my family I fell apart and I thought there was no coming back from the dark place I had crawled into and it is thanks to you and Rhino that I have this new family that I wouldn't give up for anything no matter what they offered me there would be nothing that I would see as more valuable than this," Mittens said and Bolt felt touched and apparently so did Rhino.

"Well thanks cat for acknowledging how I helped you along with Bolt," though there was humor in his voice, Bolt knew that Mittens might not take to kindly to what he had said but at the same time he knew that she wouldn't actually hurt him.

"Right Rhino right, she said and Bolt almost felt shocked that that was all she had said to the hamster in the form of a reply but he was happy at the same time because it was all the better that they didn't have arguments and just enjoyed being with each other.

"Well let's not turn on each other so quickly after all… I kind of almost lost you both forever even if it was just a dream or some delusion or hallucination," he said and he could almost feel the smirk coming off of Mittens.

"You haven't been getting into my catnip have you?" she said and there was a pause as it was just a funny thought the she might have the cat version of LSD in her position or paws.

"Is that what you learned on the streets?" he asked jokingly and waited for her to respond.

"Very funny wags but I could teach you a thing or to if you ever actually you know," she said but Bolt didn't know what she meant.

"What do you mean by that Mittens?" he asked and laughed a little bit until he realized that there was no laughter with hi and there was only silence. "Come on guys seriously what is it that you or at least what is it that you mean Mittens?" he asked and there was no answer for a moment.

"I… we want you to wake up," the voices said at the same time.

-Travis Waltz


End file.
